By Martin Banks - 25th November 2009
We may have our differences from time to time but I am sure these can and will be cast aside
Song Zhe
China's ambassador to the EU says the upcoming EU-China summit can help pave the way for a legally-binding deal at the UN summit in Copenhagen.
Speaking to this website, Song Zhe said the summit takes place at a "crucial period" for both the EU and his country and that climate change will top the agenda in Nanjing on 30 November.
He said there was "no question" that developing nations need both financial and technology support to help them tackle climate change.
Zhe said, "At Copenhagen, we will work with the rest of the international community to try to reach a deal. I believe that the EU-China summit can help secure that agreement."
His comments come after the EU's Swedish presidency this week said that both the US and China will have to "put their cards on the table" before the EU can increase its CO2 reduction target to 30 per cent.
Swedish environment minister Andreas Carlgren was speaking on Monday after EU environment ministers had met to clarify tactics for the UN climate conference in Copenhagen, starting on 7 December.
The EU is "coming closer" to raising its offer to 30 per cent but he stressed that the agreement would cover only half of global emissions without similar commitments from the United States and China.
"An ambitious bid by the United States and also by China is absolutely crucial for an agreement in Copenhagen," he said.
Although his country is one of the world's biggest emitters, Zhe pointed out, "Let's remember that China is not solely responsible for causing climate change but, having said that, I accept we have a responsibility to help avoid the situation from deteriorating.
"I cannot say for sure if there will be a deal in Denmark but we will be pushing hard for agreement on emission targets and finance."
He went on, "The summit will, of course, focus on climate change – there will be in-depth discussions on this - but there are other issues, such as future cooperation between China and the EU."
In a wide-ranging interview, Zhe also urged the EU to end its arms embargo against China, describing it as "stupid."
He said, "There really is no rationale for this embargo to continue. I do not know the purpose of it.
"The sophistication of our weapons may not compare with those of EU member states but we can quite easily obtain weapons from countries other than those in Europe.
"It is important to stress that China does not seek to be part of an arms race and is set on a path of peaceful development."
He also believes EU-China relations have recovered from last year's spat over the invitation to the Dalai Lama to address parliament and the EU's response to China's military action against the Tibetan unrest.
"We may have our differences from time to time but I am sure these can and will be cast aside. There is no conflict on the shared and fundamental interests between the EU and China."
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